CHILD MUTATION

Child Mutation

Child Mutation

Introduction

The purpose of this research report is to make an analysis on the child mutation. I am selecting this topic because it is very common topic and we can make a very good analysis on the child mutation.

Discussion

Alteration in the genetic material of a cell that is transmitted to the cell's offspring. Child Mutations may be spontaneous or induced by outside factors (mutagens). They take place in the genes, occurring when one base is substituted for another in the sequence of bases that determines the genetic code, or when one or more bases are inserted or deleted from a gene (LeBrasseur, 2009). Many mutations are harmless, often masked by the presence of a dominant normal gene. Some have serious consequences; for example, a particular mutation inherited from both parents results in sickle-cell anemia. Only mutations that occur in the sex cells (eggs or sperm) can be transmitted to the individual's offspring (Morissette, 2009). Alterations caused by these mutations are usually harmful. In the rare instances in which a mutation produces a beneficial change, the percentage of organisms with this gene will tend to increase until the mutated gene becomes the norm in the population. In this way, beneficial mutations serve as the raw material of evolution.

A word familiar to all fans of science fiction, mutation refers to any sudden change in DNA—deoxyribonucleic acid, the genetic blueprint for an organism—that creates a change in an organism's appearance, behaviour, or health(Sartori, 2009). Unlike in the sci-fi movies, however, scientists typically use the word mutant as an adjective rather than as a noun, as, for example, in the phrase "a mutant strain." Mutation is a phenomenon significant to many aspects of life on Earth and is one of the principal means by which evolutionary change takes place. It is also the cause of numerous conditions, ranging from albinism to cystic fibrosis to dwarfism. Mutation indicates a response to an outside factor, and the nature of that factor can vary greatly, from environmental influences to drugsto high-energy radiation.

Child mutations are those that occur in the egg or sperm cells and therefore can be passed on to the organism's offspring. Somatic mutations are those that happen in cells other than the sex cells, and they cannot be transmitted to the next generation (Sumner, 2009). This is an important distinction to keep in mind in terms of both the causes and the effects of ...